Wednesday, January 11, 2006

lava flows - is that a verb?

Not that I can promise too much, but a quick visit to the slopes of Mount Kalla (and no that is not its real name) resulted in a glimpse of the pubescent crater pustulating atop the right buttock of the piton de la fournaise (that is its name).

The resulting lava flow is some three km from the road now and promises to get closer even if the volcano appears to be sleeping. Those volcanologists that know promise greater things in the future...

Mind you, talking of the future leads me on to this morning's rant. The future is not Green the future is definitely litter and if it had a colour it would be grey. The grey of concrete, tinged with the false dawn of banal graffitti - there are other less banal kinds, but these are few and far between. This rant is leading us off on a short walk across the now cold lava flow of2004. It still remains impressive even after 18 months of erosion. Gone is the showroom glean of newly waxed and polished lava, but there is the new found beauty in the colours of erosion and the revelation of tunnels which once coursed with the earth's lifeblood...

... so what's my problem this time? Litter. Those of you sad enough to have read the item on the eruption last year will know all about the rant against policing the volcano - today no armed guards just a sign saying that by prefectoral decree it is forbidden to walk on the lava - one would be very silly if one wanted. What is it with these prefects and their decrees? Is this ancient Rome or the toilets of Eton? It would be better if they made an attempt to protect the island and its beauty from the public - yes that is you and I - it would be better if people were shot for dropping rubbish; Ohh isn't that rather extreme?

Probably, but then it is not everyday that one finds nappies adorning sites of great natural interest, or is it?

For more on the volcano as it progresses try www.fournaise.info for more on my state of mind as it regresses stay tuned...